The government is considering axing 180 quangos and merging 124 more, a leaked government document today has revealed.

Bodies under threat include the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, the Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation, and the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation. The list was leaked to the BBC.

This follows well-publicised plans to axe the eight UK regional development agencies.

Other bodies whose future was “yet to be decided” on 26 August – when the leaked list dates from – include the Homes and Communities Agency and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. The document also proposed abolishing British Waterways as a quango, and putting the shares in the ownership of its employees or customers.

Large cuts to government quangos would allow the public sector to make big cuts to the amount of office space it occupies. It will be expected to do so in the face of large cuts to public spending.

Here is the full list published by the BBC: Full BBC list of quangos the government is set to axe

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• Thurrock development body to escape axe
• Budget 2010: 150 quangos to be axed
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